Black Squadron was subsequently involved in a skirmish with First Orderforces led by Terex, who had been sent to recover the information that Dameron had acquired during Operation: Sabre Strike. While Dameron and BB-8 tangled with Terex and his landing party, Wexley and the other pilots engaged in a dogfight with First Order TIE/fo space superiority fighters in the skies above Ovanis.[14] The skirmish was interrupted when the Crèche egg hatched and released two large flying creatures, which fought each other. Dameron and BB-8 managed to overpower Terex and forced him to call off his forces. After the Crèche cultists departed with one one of the flying creatures, Black Squadron refueled and departed. Unwilling to risk a war between the New Republic and the First Order, Black Squadron allowed Terex and his surviving man to leave.[15]

Continuing their search for Tekka, Black Squadron traveled to Megaloxprison on the high gravity world of Megalox Beta to question the imprisonedGrakkus the Hutt. With Organa's help, Black Squadron managed to bribe WardenLuta into allowing them to enter the prison. However, Terex learned they were coming and bribed Luta into abandoning Black Squadron to the prisoners. Despite this setback, Black Squadron managed to fight their way into Grakkus' fortress. Grakkus granted Dameron and Terex an audience but refused to divulge the information on Tekka until one of them had freed him.[16]

In response, Dameron got BB-8 and the other astromech droidsO-R10N, R2-HA, and R4 to disable the Megalox space station's gravity shield generator. Black Squadron also fought off an attempt by gangsters hired by Terex to storm the fortress and kill Grakkus.[17] After disabling the gravity shield, Dameron managed to force Luta to let them and Grakkus leave the prison in exchanging for restoring the gravity shield. Before they could leave the system, Terex's starshipCarrion Spike attacked Megalox station. Black Squadron drove off the Carrion Spike and obtained the data from Grakkus. In return, the Hutt was given hyperspace coordinates and allowed to leave. After returning, Organa instructed Dameron to suspend his search for Tekka to investigate the presence of a spy within Black Squadron.[18]

During the journey, Dameron realized that Muva was the spy and suspected that Terex had planted the information in order to find the location of the Resistance base. Dameron exited hyperspace above an uncharted desert planet. Terex and the Ranc gang followed and forced Dameron to ground on the desert planet. Meanwhile, Muva infiltrated the Carrion Spike[10] and managed to reunite with his wifeSowa Chuan, who had been taken captive by Terex to exert leverage over her husband. Muva also encountered Terex's harem of slaves.[21]

Dameron and the droids fled into a cave. BB-8 and C-3PO managed to delay Terex long enough for the rest of Black Squadron to enter the desert planet's system.[21] During the ensuing dogfight, Muva managed to reprogram the Carrion Spike's battle computers to target Terex's "Uglies". Black Squadron provided cover for Muva and the escaped slaves' escape pods while fighting with Terex's Ranc fighters. L'ulo shot down one of the "Uglies" that destroyed an escape pod. However, he was shot down by another fighter. While Dameron and BB-8 fought with Terex, First Order forces led by CommanderMalarus exited hyperspace and wiped out the Ranc gang forces and Terex's flagship but did not target the Resistance. Dameron's Black Squadron mates flew over Malarus' landing party while Dameron met with the First Order commander. After learning she had come to apprehend Terex for disobeying Snoke's directive to avoid open conflict with the Resistance, Poe handed the rogue First Order agent to her.[22]